State law allows municipalities to make up what they are losing on their property tax draw over to Indiana’s property tax circuit breaker law — in Griffith’s case a potential shortfall of $1.1 million going into 2025.
To help keep its coffers filled, the town is seeking permission from the state to raise an additional $505,000 in excess tax levy. Town officials assure the $32 million budget for 2025, which passed unanimously on Oct. 29 without public comment or discussion, is balanced and achievable. But they may have to do without some of the items on their list, having worked into the budget a $600,000 leaf vacuum truck.
Griffith Town Councilman Jim Marker, R-1st, said that regardless of its funding levels, the town must closely watch how it spends and truly stick to its budget, one that does include raises for town employees. To ensure spending is kept in check, he said the town will institute an internal purchase order process to more closely monitor anyone managing a budget.
“I think we’ve tightened up the budget pretty well this year,” Marker said. “We pushed back on department heads, and I think that it’s going to be close, but we will be fine.”
Marker, a director of construction for a utility company, assured that Griffith is going to be run “more like a business” — with an abundance of accountability.
Marker’s remarks reflect the 2021-22 State Board of Accounts (SBOA) audit report, covering 2021-2022, which found Griffith had overdrawn cash balances by $1,233,358 as of December 31, 2022.
As the town government has worked toward putting the state auditor’s recommendations and requirements into action, they will have to contend with the coming audit in 2025.
“We need to watch our Ps and Qs next year, just like we do at home and in our businesses,” Marker said. “We really need to stay focused on what’s in the budget and who’s getting that money, whether its public works, the police department, whoever it might be.”
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
